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Brother Allan Elcano's baptism




Hello fam!!! Sounds like things are going good, and you are all staying really busy. So this morning we found out about transfers and..........................................................................................I'm not transferring! I'll be staying here in this area for at least another month. It surprised me a bit because i've been in my previous areas for 4 transfers each, and this last transfer was my 4th here. But i get at least one more here. A few members have been joking that this will be my last area. That would mean i'm here for almost a year! But i like this area and could do it. Right now lats of missionaries here are staying in area for a long time. There is one missionary that has been in his area for a year now. But i am the only one that i know of in the mission that has been a long time in all my areas. Others have been in an area for only a month or two. I have no idea what that would be like. But i like it staying a long time in an area. I was kinda feeling the other day that i still have stuff i need to do here. My companion isn't transferring either, so its still us two here. Like one thing Dad said, regardless it is all great and whether you move a lot or not it is all doing the Lord's work where he wants you to be. That is so true. He has a reason that i am here.

The baptism Saturday was really good. Lots of people were there. It was good to finally see a baptism here. And the Brother we baptized, Bro. Allan Elcano, is really good. It was great to be able to baptize him of Saturday, then see him confirmed and then receive the priesthood yesterday. He is great. The branch already is making plans to give him a calling. And just wait for the next District Conference for him to receive the Melchezidek Priesthood.

It is crazy that KDell & Cheryl and Steven are home. My district leader right now, Elder Bush, is from Steven's mission, the California Arcadia Spanish speaking Mission. His Dad is actually a counsilor in the mission presidency. So it is almost certain that Steven knows his dad and that Bailey Brown will meet his dad. Crazy what a small world it is.

Well this last week was busy with getting ready for the baptism. It was also a busy week of proselyting. This last week or two we've started working in a couple new parts of our area. We didn't really have any investigators any more in some of the areas we we're going to, so we started finding to a few other places. So far that is going all right. We have a few investigators that are preparing for baptism, but it isn't certain yet when their baptism will be. It depends how they progress these next couple weeks. They are going through some trials right now, so i would ask for your prayers to help them overcome their trials.

We did have one cool experience this last week. We have had an investigator, Brother Castro. He is about 58 now. He had a stroke a year ago, and has a harder time getting around. Luckily his mind is still pretty strong. But they don't have much money because he can't work because of his stroke. And he can't just walk to church (which he wants to do if he just had the strength). He is just great though. We have been teaching him and his wife for a month now, and Brother Castro is now on 2 Nephi 7 in the Book of Mormon. But i've been thinking for a while about how i so wanted to give him a priesthood blessing. A week ago me and my companion talked about it, then last Thursday when we were teaching them we taught about blessings and asked if he wanted one. He said yes, so we blessed him. Then on Saturday we went back for our return appointment. As soon as i saw him, he seemed a little different. He seemed brighter and happier. He almost seemed physically brighter. Something felt different about him. As we talked to him, he said he had slept good Thursday and Friday night, the first time in a really long time. He has also had these really weird dots all over his body that always itch, but he said they didn't itch anymore. He said that he just felt all around a lot better. Me and my companion just looked at each other. The blessing hadn't healed him, but it was helping him to cope with his illness. It is giving him hope that he needs. Before he had lost hope. But now he is full of hope. The power is priesthood blessings is so really! Anything can happen, if it is the Lord's will. I have seen it time and again. The power of the Priesthood is so great. We all need to live worthy of excersizing that at any time. When we aren't worthy of the priesthood, it is the same as if we don't have the Priesthood. It is such a great responsibility we have. But Brethren, shall we not go on in so great a cause?

I know this church is true. I know the Book of Mormon is true. Keep reading it everyday. You will feel a great difference in your life. I love you all so much. God be with you till we meet again.

Elder Brough